i 


A  DDilKSSES 


DELIVERED   AT   TUE 


INAUGURATION  OF  REV.  WM.  S.  PLUMER  D.  D. 

AS 

PROFESSOR  OF  DIDACTIC  AND  PASTORAL  THEOLOGY 

IN    THE 

Patent  EJfulugical  § minanj: 

COMPRISING 

THE   CHARGE   T<>  THE   PEOFESSOR, 

BY  HEV.  E.  P.  SWIFT,  D.  D. 

/ 
AND 

THE   INAUGURAL   ADDRESS. 

BY  REV.  W.  S.  PLUMER.  D.  D. 


DELIVERED  AT  PITTSBURGH.  OCTOBER  20. 


P*    r'L' 


Pittsburgh: 

PRINTED  BT  W.  S.  HAVEN,  CORNER  OK  MARKKT  AMD  SECOND  S' 

1  854. 


ADDRESSES 


DELIVERED  AT  THE 


INAUGURATION  OF  REV.  WM.  S.  PLUMER  D.  D. 


PROFESSOR  OF  DIDACTIC  AND  PASTORAL  THEOLOGY 


ttltm  SJefllflgital  gerainartj 


COMPRISING 


THE   CHAEGE   TO   THE   PROFESSOR, 


BY  REV.  E.  P.  SWIFT,  D.  D. 


THE   INAUGURAL   ADDRESS, 


BY  REV.  W.  S.  PLUMER.  D.  D. 


PRINTED  BY   W.   S.   HAVEN,   CORNER   OP  MARKET   AND   SECOND   STREETS. 

1  854. 


Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  two  be  appointed  to  solicit  a  copy  of  the  Charge  of 
the  Board,  delivered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Swift:  and  also,  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Plumer,  a  copy  of 
his  Inaugural  Address  before  the  Board,  and  they  be  instructed  to  publish  the  same,  in 
pamphlet  form,  for  distribution. 

(Extract  from  the  minutes  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Western  Theological 
Seminary.— ft*.  20,  1854.) 

Rev.  E.  P.  Swift,  D.  D. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir : — In  accordance  with  the  above  resolution,  the 
undersigned  were  appointed  a  committee  to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  and  will  thank  you.  at  your  early  convenience,  for  a  copy,  for  publication 
of  the  Charge  of  the  Board  to  Rev.  Dr.  Plumer,  by  you  delivered  before  them,  and  the 
Synods  of  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny,  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  on  the  evening 
of  the  20th  inst.  Very  respectfully  yours. 

FRANCIS   G.  BAILEY. 
LUKE   LOOMIS, 
Pittsburgh,  Oct.  23d,  IS 54  Committee. 

Allegheny  City,  Oct.  31,  1854. 
Gentlemen:   Duly  appreciating  the  favorable  consideration  of  the  Board  in  whose 
name  you  act,  I  herewith  submit  a  transcript  of  the  Charge  to  ycur  disposal. 

Respectfully  and  affectionately,  Yours, 

E.  P.  SWIPT. 
To  F.  G.  Bailey  and  L.  Loomis.  Esqrs. 


Rev.  W.  S.  Plumer,  D.  D. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir: — In  accordance  with  the  above  resolution,  the 
undersigned  were  appointed  a  committee  to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  and  will  thank  you,  at  your  early  convenience,  for  a  copy  of  your  Inaugural 
Address,  delivered  before  them,  and  the  Synods  of  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny,  on  the 
evening  of  the  20th  inst.  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  in  this  city. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

FRANCIS   G.  BAILEY, 
LUKE   LOOMIS, 
Pittsburgh.  Oct.  23d,  1854  Committee. 


Allegheny  City,  Pa.  Oct  30.  1854. 
Gentlemen: — I  received  your  kind  note,  and,  according  to  your  request,  I  send  you 
the  manuscript  of  the  address  I  delivered  at  my  inauguration. 

Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours. 

WM.  S.  PLUMER. 
To  F.  G.  Bailey  and  L.  Loomis,  Esqrs. 


THE   CHARGE. 


REQUISITES   TO   THE    SUCCESSFUL   CULTIVATION 

or 

CHRISTIAN  THEOLOGY. 


My  Dear  Brother: 

While  quietly  pursuing  your  pastoral  avocations  in  a 
distant  city,  the  voice  of  the  Supreme  Council  of  the  Church  to  which 
you  belong,  summoned  you  to  assume  the  responsible  post  of  Professor 
of  Theology,  in  one  of  her  principal  TJieological  Seminaries.  As  an 
obedient  son,  you  have  promptly  responded  to  her  call ;  and  here  you 
have  found  a  new  edifice  arising  on  the  ruins  of  the  first,  a  senior  and 
junior  associate  at  their  posts,  and  two  convened  Synods  ready  to 
receive  you.  Having  now  been  inducted,  by  an  impressive  and  solemn 
formality  into  that  oflice,  the  Board  of  Directors  have  imposed  upon 
me  the  duty  of  addressing  to  you,  in  their  name,  and  that  of  Jesus 
Christ,  such  fraternal  counsels  as  befit  so  high  a  trust. 

The  occasion  is  an  affecting  and  eventful  one,  not  only  to  yourself. 
but  to  this  Board,  and  this  large  assembly — and,  indeed,  to  all  who 
love  the  church  of  the  living  God,  and  would  cherish  a  holy  interest 
in  those  educated,  devoted  young  men  who.  from  year  to  year,  and 
from  class  to  class,  are  here  to  come  up  to  qualify  themselves  for 
active  ministerial  service  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  The  particular 
department  of  instruction  to  which  you  have  been  appointed  is  Didac- 
tic and  Pastoral  TJieology.  This  is  the  science  of  God — and  of  man, 
as  a  rational  and  moral  being — and  of  true  religion,  as  it  is  made  known 
to  us  by  a  divine  revelation,  and  as  it  is  perceived  and  understood  by 
a  divine  faith.  It  differs  from  all  other  sciences  in  the  loftiness  and 
utility  of  its  objects,  the  vastness  and  eternity  of  its  principles,  the 
source  of  its  elements  in  the  inspired  record,  and  the  supernatural 
illumination  of  the  human  soul  which  it  implies.  No  employment, 
therefore,  draws  a  created  mind  into  higher  communion  with  God. 


6 

and  the  objects  of  the  invisible  world,  and  into  loftier  and  holier  con- 
templations, or  is  in  itself  more  honorable  and  blessed.  The  Bible 
is  the  source  of  all  our  theological  knowledge ;  and  its  doctrines,  and 
facts,  and  moral  laws  we  receive  as  divine,  on  the  naked  authority  of 
God.  Reason,  as  an  instrument  of  knowledge,  is  legitimately  employed 
in  discovering  and  weighing  the  proofs  and  vouchers  of  its  being  indeed 
a  divinely  inspired  and  unerring  revelation,  and  then  interpreting  its 
contents  according  to  the  rules  of  language,  and  stating,  proving 
and  defending  it  against  all  the  world,  and  all  that  is  sceptical  in  our 
Dwn  hearts. 

That  form  of  theological  truth  which  you  are  expected  to  impart, 
and  no  other,  is  comprehended  in  the  Confession  of  Faith.  The  church 
believes,  indeed,  that  "  the  Bible  "  without  tradition,  the  authority  of 
Councils,  or  the  sanction  of  men  or  angels,  "  is  the  religion  of  Protes- 
tants ;"  and  it  is  because  she  believes  that  this  Confession  embodies 
the  very  mind  and  meaning  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Bible,  she  will 
have  no  other  teaching,  since  she  will  have  no  other  Bible. 

She  expects  you,  then,  out  of  the  depths  of  your  own  conviction, 
ably,  faithfully,  and  thoroughly  to  state,  illustrate,  and  defend  this 
system ;  and  by  research,  meditation,  prayer,  and  the  help  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  to  bring  "  out  of  the  law  "  and  the  doctrine  of  the  cross, 
those  wonderful  things  in  truth  and  righteousness,  by  which  your 
pupils  may  be  thoroughly  furnished  as  able  ministers  of  the  New 
Testament.  What  form  of  doctrine  this  is  in  detail,  the  occasion  will 
probably  lead  you  more  appropriately  and  ably  to  express,  than  I  can 
do  ;  and  I  shall,  therefore,  confine  my  observations  to  a  notice  of  some 
of  those  things  which  seem  to  be  required  in  the  successful  cultivation 
of  sound  theology,  and  the  professional  training  of  the  ministry. 

In  the  Apostolic  age  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  Christianity  was 
pure  and  true  in  its  simple  unclassified  elements  ;  but,  like  our  sinless 
mother  in  the  primeval  garden,  its  innocence  and  purity  stood  unpro- 
tected from  those  encroachments  which  the  sin  and  folly,  the  pride, 
and  weakness  of  Christian  men,  might  intentionally  and  unintentionally 
make  upon  it.  If  Jewish  dogmatists  had  so  marred,  before  the  time 
of  Christ,  the  ancient  laws  and  theology,  that  Moses,  if  he  could  have 
re-lived,  would  scarcely  have  known  his  own  system,  it  is  no  matter 
of  surprise  that  before  the  close  of  the  first,  and  during  the  second, 
third,  and  fourth  centuries,  men's  views  of  the  doctrines  of  Revelation 
had  become  false  and  corrupt.  The  first  departures  from  primitive 
simplicity  were  not,  indeed,  mainly  doctrinal ;  but  in  that  and  the 


succeeding  periods,  down  to  the  present  time,  almost  every  conceivable 
form  of  divergence  has  occurred ;  so  that  Didactic  Divinity  itself 
travels  through  the  circles  of  almost  every  science — and  the  question 
which  I  propose  is,  how  she  can  best  attain  the  objects  of  this  journey  ? 
And, 

First — If  Theology  is  a  revelation  of  the  glory  and  righteousness  of 
God,  and  a  convincing  knowledge  from  him  of  man's  necessities  and 
ruin,  and  heaven's  unspeakable  gift,  need  I  say  that  it  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  unlock  its  treasures  and  reveal  its  mysteries  to  an  unrenewed 
and  nnhumbled  mind. 

Look  back  upon  the  map  of  the  journeyings  of  God's  elect  in  all 
past  time,  and  see,  my  brother,  how  the  review  magnifies  and  solemn- 
izes the  office  you  are  to  hold  !  Who  was  the  Church's  first  teacher 
of  Divinity,  but  the  Almighty  God  himself  ?  Who  taught  Theology  to 
Abraham,  and  Enoch,  and  Moses  amidst  the  thunderings  of  Sinai, 
himself  the  preceptor  of  the  sons  of  the  Aaronic  priesthood  ?  Look  at 
yonder  man,  with  a  little  cluster  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  at 
his  side,  and  the  King  and  all  Israel  before  him  in  their  idolatry  and 
wickedness,  as  he  is  about  to  demonstrate  that  there  is  a  God  !  and  that 
the  Lord  is  He  !  What  holiness  !  what  faith  gleams  upon  that  eye  as 
it  gently  rises  towards  that  rainless  sky  !  Who  was  the  Theological 
Professor  of  that  band  of  Hebrew  youth,  whom  Nebuchadnezzar 
selected  for  education  ?  Perhaps  it  was  Daniel,  the  elder  inmate. 
And  when  we  come  down  to  the  Sox  of  God  himself,  at  the  head  of 
his  twelve,  and  also  hi3  seventy  disciples,  we  find  him  delivering  lessons 
of  Divinity,  in  the  Temple,  and  in  the  synagogue,  and  on  the  sea,  and  in 
the  wild  and  rugged  mountains,  amidst  miracles  the  most  creative,  and  a 
profoundness  and  sanctity  the  most  awful !  And  although  for  centuries 
after  the  apostolic  age,  ancient  history  is  surprisingly  silent  and  un- 
certain, as  to  how  and  where  theology  was  systematically  taught,  we 
know  that  the  martyred  Polycarp,  Irenaeus,  Cyril,  and  Clement,  the 
self-sacrificing  Trinitarian  Athanasius,  and  the  illustrious  Augustine, 
were  Professors  of  Theology.  After  them,  in  later  times,  come  up 
to  our  view,  the  Christian-like  Wickliff,  the  noble  Huss,  Luther,  that 
prodigy  of  faith  and  prayer ;  the  John-like  Melancthon,  the  devoted 
Beza,  the  peerless  Calvin,  the  industrious  and  faithful  Doddridge,  the 
gifted  Chalmers,  and  the  unsurpassed  Alexander.  To  such  investiga- 
tors, this  hallowed  science  has  yielded  up  its  precious  illuminations  ; 
but  if  we  look  back  to  the  third  and  fourth  centuries,  or  through  the 
sad  and  awful  occultations  in  the  seminaries  of  Alexandria,  Geneva, 


8 

and  Wittenberg,  and  into  the  Rationalistic  and  Puseyitic  schools  of 
Germany  and  Britain,  where  great,  and  learned,  and  intellectual  men 
were  found  to  teach  Infidelity,  Pantheism,  Pelagianism,  and  Soeinian- 
ism  out  of  God's  Holy  Bible,  do  we  not  see  that  without  the  spirit  of 
the  Bible,  it  is  as  "  the  blind  leading  the  blind  ?"  Arius,  and  Paul  of 
Samosata,  and  Pelagius  and  Arminius  may,  indeed,  have  been  renewed 
men ;  but  their  evasions,  concealments,  and  reasonings  were  unlike 
honest,  open  lovers  of  the  Gospel. 

Secondly — The  auspicious  cultivation  of  sound  theology  demands 
varied  and  profound  acquisitions  in  scriptural  knowledge,  earnest 
study  and  unwearied  investigations,  not  only  in  Biblical  and  Oriental 
attainments,  but  in  all  the  departments  of  science.  The  idea  that,  in 
answer  to  prayer,  God  might  be  expected  to  open  the  meaning  and 
doctrine  of  the  holy  oracles  to  him  who  could  not  even  intelligently  read 
them  (in  the  original),  has  now  passed  away  among  all  thinking  men, 
and  the  world  has  settled  down  in  the  belief  that  Heaven  bestows 
grace  and  knowledge  by  the  use  of  rational  and  appointed  means. 
Heretical  expositors  of  the  Bible,  and  Infidel  teachers  of  Christianity 
have  come  forward  with  the  profoundest  learning  and  the  highest  gifts, 
to  undermine  the  walls  of  our  Jerusalem ;  and  Compendiums  of  Mental 
and  Moral  Philosophy,  and  Logic,  and  Psychology,  and  of  History, 
Medicine,  and  almost  every  branch  of  literature  and  science  now,  more 
or  less,  branch  off  into  Philosophic  and  often  dangerous  discussions  of 
Christian  truth.  The  only  rational  effect  of  these  things  upon  the 
Evangelical  Protestant  world,  should  be  to  rouse  them  up  to  push  for- 
ward, and  outrun  these  reckless  innovators  in  every  legitimate  field 
of  sacred  knowledge,  remembering  that  exegesis,  investigation,  and 
laborious  and  scientific  research,  and  profound  scholarship  are  here 
(like  the  altar,  the  wood,  and  the  offered  oblation  of  the  prophet,  not 
one  thing  of  which  could  be  wanting,  ere  he  made  his  solemn  appeal 
by  faith  and  prayer  to  the  God  of  Israel,)  indispensable  to  our  rational 
trust  in  the  Lord,  to  fortify  and  defend  the  sanctuary  of  the  cross, 
when  learning,  subtilty,  and  eloquence  would  assail  it.  If  God's 
teachers  and  ministers  resolve  to  be  satisfied  to  hold  their  old  posi- 
tions, and  rely  upon  their  old  proofs  and  illustrations,  repeating  ac- 
knowledged truths  in  the  beaten  way,  while  Scepticism  is  learnedly 
ransacking  the  heavens  and  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth — the  hiero- 
glyphical  records  and  monuments  of  antiquity,  and  the  very  depths  of 
philological  science,  trying  to  sap  and  undermine  the  very  walls  of  the 
holy  city — what  shall  be  the  fate  of  those  young  detachments  of 


9 

Christ's  soldiers,  who  go  forth  to  be  fallen  upon  by  the  metaphysics 
and  transcendentalism  of  the  schools ;  the  rabbinical  craftiness  of  the 
Jews,  the  philosophical  fatalism  of  the  Turks,  and  the  oriental  subtilty 
of  the  Hindoos  ?  Who  can  tell  how  much  more  power  and  brilliancy 
Edwards,  Whitefield,  Fuller  and  Baxter  might  have  displayed,  to  the 
glory  of  Christ,  if  they  had  possessed  the  means  of  a  thorough  early  edu- 
cation ?  If  Basil,  instead  of  being  borne  away  by  the  love  of  monastic 
life  and  the  austerities  of  asceticism,  spending  his  time  with  Monks 
and  Hermits  in  praying  and  singing  psalms  and  devotional  exercises 
in  deserts  and  solitudes,  had  devoted  his  gifted  intellect  to  the  re-in- 
vigoration  of  the  waning  theology  of  his  times,  how  much  more  useful- 
ness might  he  have  gained.  True,  indeed,  it  is  most  vital  for  the 
teacher  and  the  student,  of  a  divinely  inspired  science,  daily  to  feel 
that  without  humbleness  of  mind,  and  purity  of  heart,  and  communion 
with  the  Spirit  of  God,  his  real  progress  is  impossible.  Of  Justin 
Martyr,  Tertullian  and  others,  we  hear,  with  sorrow,  the  historian  say 
that  these  gifted  men  failed  in  their  controversy  with  the  Jews,  from 
the  want  of  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  language,  history,  and 
learning  of  the  Hebrews ;  and  that  their  defences  of  Christianity 
against  learned  Pagans,  also  failed  for  the  want  of  accuracy  and  ap- 
plication. Thus  the  whole  analogy  of  God's  kingdom  of  providence 
and  grace  teaches  us  that  no  gifts  nor  graces,  nor  heavenly  effusions, 
can  acquit  the  Church  of  her  whole  duty,  if  she  does  not  strive  to 
defend  the  glorious  system  of  redemption,  the  noblest  of  all  sciences, 
by  all  and  the  best  of  human  instrumentalities.  Origen  and  Clemens, 
of  the  famed  Theological  school  of  Alexandria,  of  whom  Jerome  said, 
"  no  men  ever  had  more  knowledge,"  and  many  good  men  since  may 
not  have  most  profitably  and  wisely  employed  their  learning  ;  but  still 
Theology  is  incapable  of  advancement  without  eminent  acquisitions. 
If  any  suppose  that  the  breathings  of  holy  affection  must  inevitably  be 
sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  intense  study,  let  them  contemplate  the  great 
teacher — the  immortal  Owen — whose  matchless  acumen  and  Herculean 
powers,  and  highest  distinction  in  rabbinical,  and  scientific,  and  theo- 
logical learning,  blended  with  equally  remarkable  sanctity  and  purity 
of  heart,  all  humbly  consecrated  to  the  crucified  Redeemer,  and  be 
convinced  of  their  error. 

Thirdly — The  auspicious  pursuit  of  systematic  Theology  must  have 
a  constant  reference  to  it  as  one  complete  and  indivisible  revelation; 
one  edifice  with  many  dependent  parts ;  and  its  aim  must  be  to  give 
each  its  just  proportions  and  appropriate  place.     There  is,  as  you 


10 

know,  a  tendency  in  particular  times,  in  particular  tastes,  and  in  the 
prevalence  of  particular  controversies,  to  disturb  this  harmonious 
adjustment.  Athanasius,  in  the  East,  and  Hilary,  in  the  West — those 
able,  exemplary  and  pious  men — were  so  absorbed  for  most  of  their 
lives  in  the  Arian  controversy,  that  they  thought  too  little  of  a  divine 
and  dying  gospel.  The  acute  Dr.  Emmons,  the  teacher  of  so  many 
New  England  Pastors,  laid  out  all  of  his  strength  upon  a  metaphysical 
and  ingenious,  but  unbiblical  theory  of  Mental  Philosophy ;  and 
upon  all  topics  not  capable  of  being  tinged  with  his  ruling  speculation, 
his  teaching  was  brief,  meagre,  and  superficial.  Dr.  Samuel  Hopkins, 
as  his  system  of  divinity  shows,  was  a  very  pious,  strong-minded  man, 
but  the  metaphysical  idea  that  "  all  sin  consisted  in  selfishness,  and 
all  holiness  in  disinterested  benevolence,"  seemed  to  him  the  factotum 
of  all  Divinity ;  and  his  pupils  could  hardly  preach  a  sermon  without 
one  of  these  peculiarities. 

We  might  show  how  great  and  good  men  have  often  had  their 
hobbies :  and  how  their  vigorous  powers  and  active  investigations  have 
been  expended  upon  these  particular  topics,  to  the  damage  of  all  beside. 

Let  your  teachings,  my  dear  brother,  respect  the  "  whole  counsel 
of  God  "  in  its  just  proportions,  its  beautiful  symmetry,  and  its  moral 
order,  that  the  superstructure  of  your  system  may  be  as  an  edifice  "  fitly 
framed  together."  Let  Christ  crucified,  indeed,  be  its  beginning  and 
its  end,  its  centre  and  circumference ;  and  guard  all  your  pupils 
against  whatever  all-absorbing  themes  or  illusive  speculations  there 
may  arise  to  mar  their  usefulness,  or  mislead  their  judgments. 

Fourthly — The  successful  cultivation  of  Theology  demands  accu- 
racy of  thought  and  judgment,  and  the  power  of  separating  on  every 
subject,  its  intrinsic  from  its  extrinsic  elements,  blended  with  inflexible 
rectitude  of  heart.  These  are  demanded  in  order  to  a  safe,  able,  and 
conscientious  interpretation  of  God's  word,  by  one  who  must  feel  a 
freedom  from  all  authority,  but  the  binding  obligation  of  that  word 
itself ;  and  yet  be  able  to  enter  into  the  comprehension  of  its  great 
and  holy  truths. 

It  is  only  when  the  mind  feels  wholly  free  to  try,  by  the  tests  of 
Scripture  alone,  the  opinions  and  reasonings  of  the  most  eminent  pre- 
decessors, and  the  doctrinal  symbols  of  any  and  every  Church,  that  it 
can  embrace  and  teach  the  true  faith  with  the  love  and  ardency  of  its 
own  individual  system :  and  this  impassioned  affection  is  requisite  to 
its  acquisition  of  new  and  fresh  treasures  and  beauties  for  the  growth 
of  Theology.     It  may  be  confidently  said  that  no  one,  even  of  the 


11 

exact  sciences,  demands  more  patient  investigation  and  accuracy  of 
thought  than  Didactic  Theology ;  and  not  a  few  of  its  important  topics 
call  for  a  discrimination  and  power  of  analysis  unsurpassed  by  the 
judicial  application  of  the  principles  of  common  law ;  and  while  a  man 
may  be  a  judicious  teacher  of  the  ordinary  topics  of  Divinity,  yet  without 
these  habits  of  close  discrimination  and  earnest  investigation  he  can 
never  become  an  able  Theologian.  In  some  bodies  of  Divinity,  like  those 
of  Ridgley  and  Gill,  there  is  found  great  accuracy  in  the  statement  of 
the  topics  of  Christian  doctrine,  but  much  feebleness  and  want  of  con- 
centration and  power  in  their  illustration  and  defence — unadapted  to 
arouse  the  understanding  of  the  pupil,  and  develop  his  own  capacity 
for  earnestness  and  correctness  of  thought. 

While  you  cherish,  my  brother,  a  holy  ambition  that  Theology — a 
living  and  powerful  Theology — may  not  be  stationary  in  your  hands: 
and  while  you,  as  it  were,  melt  down  and  re-cast  all  its  principles  and 
truths,  let  all  your  positions  be  taken,  and  your  trains  of  argument 
be  constructed,  with  clear  Scriptural  authority,  logical  accuracy  and 
precision — considering  that  all  these  will  be  engraven  on  the  minds  of 
your  students,  and  pass  into  popular  instruction  before  the  public.  If 
they  should  be  true,  strong,  and  convincing,  how  much  good  may  you 
hope  to  do  !  But  if  inaccurate  and  indefensible,  how  painful  that  your 
friends  should  be  swept  away  in  the  assertion  of  your  teaching. 
Let  no  fanciful  speculation  as  to  two  Theologies,  "  one  of  intellect, 
and  the  other  of  feeling,"  escape  your  pen ;  but  let  God's  truth  be 
stated  in  propositions,  clear,  distinct,  and  logical,  supported  by  per- 
spicuous deductive  evidence. 

Fifthly — Allow  me  to  mention,  as  a  still  higher  requisite  to  the 
successful  cultivation  of  Theological  Science,  the  constant  spirit  of 
dependence  upon  the  Great  Teacher.  I  have  already  referred  to  the 
necessity  of  personal  piety;  but  alas!  many  pious,  able,  and  learned 
men  have  seemed  to  forget  that  Theology  is  a  thrice  holy  and  heavenly 
science,  and  have  been  tempted  to  rely  more  upon  their  genius  and 
mental  powers,  and  scholarship,  than  the  aids  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
What  is  man !  as  he  stands  as  the  expositor  of  the  high  and  awful 
mysteries  of  his  God  and  Saviour  ?  It  is  remarkable,  that  in  the 
Theology  of  Witsius  and  Watson,  and  in  the  university  lectures  of 
Leighton,  while  there  is  no  great  learning  or  originality,  there  is  a 
scripturalness  and  a  practical  pathos  which  elevates  and  invigorates 
the  reader's  mind.  Sometimes,  (as  I  now  recollect,)  when  Dr.  Alex- 
ander had  heard  his  class,  and  had  ably  explained  some  topic  of 


12 

divinity,  he  would  seem  to  pause,  and  painful  anxiety  to  be  stamped 
upon  his  countenance,  as  though  he  were  ready  to  say,  I  fear  the 
Heavenly  Teacher  is  not  here !  let  us  lay  aside  our  helps  and  repair 
to  him.  Alas!  how  does  the  history  of  Protestantism,  its  Biblical 
studies  and  expositions,  theories  and  speculations,  express  in  mournful 
utterance  the  frequent  absence  in  its  full  power  of  this  most  vital 
conviction  of  human  imbecility ! 

Sixthly — I  shall  add  but  one  further  requisite  to  the  healthful 
growth  of  theological  science,  and  it  consists  in  the  union  of  disinter- 
estedness with  benevolence.  In  nothing,  perhaps,  was  the  apostle  Paul, 
and,  in  an  humbler  sense,  I  may  add  Edwards,  more  remarkable  than 
for  this  trait  of  character.  The  epistle  to  the  Romans,  composed, 
perhaps,  in  a  heathen  jail — and  the  treatise  on  the  will  written  in  the 
woods  of  Stockbridge,  among  the  Indians — how  does  the  simple  hope 
and  desire  to  be  useful  to  man,  in  all  generations,  and  glorify  the  truth 
of  God,  shine  out  in  these  powerful  productions !  By  disinterestedness, 
I  mean  a  freedom  from  all  desire  to  be  accounted  great,  wise  and 
learned  by  men,  or  to  build  up  the  fame  of  a  particular  denomination — 
but  the  profession  of  one  ruling  aim  to  honor  Christ,  and  to  bless  the 
church  and  the  world  with  purer,  holier  and  mightier  conceptions  of 
Christian  doctrine. 

False  and  dangerous  principles,  learned  and  elaborate  assaults  upon 
the  truth,  there  are,  and  will  be,  in  this  age  of  partial  reading  and  free- 
dom of  thought — but  it  is  consoling  to  believe  that  the  theological 
views  of  all  the  great  denominations  of  Christians  are  now  converging 
towards  the  Calvinism  of  Westminster ;  and  able  teachers  may  hope 
for  increasing  usefulness  beyond  the  bounds  of  their  own  church,  as 
well  as  their  own  age.  You  will  consider  that  wherever  a  sound,  vital 
theology  prevails,  soundness  of  moral  principles  and  conscientious 
moral  order  will  prevail ;  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the  social 
and  political  well-being  and  prosperity  of  this  great  republic  must  rest 
upon  the  basis  of  sound  protestant  religion,  and  that,  drawn,  as  we 
believe,  from  that  Confession  of  faith  which  infused  the  spirit  of  liberty 
and  moral  courage  into  the  hearts  of  the  Scottish  Cameronians  and 
the  English  Puritans.  Yes,  let  me  repeat  it,  the  hope  of  our  country, 
the  resting  place  of  the  troubled  nations,  must  be  found  in  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  in  the  true  faith  of  God's  elect ;  and  patriotism,  loyalty 
and  philanthropy  should  therefore  nerve  your  soul  to  develop  power- 
fully, and  thus  diffuse  widely,  in  their  truth  and  their  power,  the  great 
living  doctrines  of  our  Confession ;  to  awaken,  by  them,  the  slumbering 


13 

energies  of  every  gifted  and  devoted  mind  that  comes  under  your 
teachings,  and  to  send  our  beloved  young  ministers  forth  to  love  them, 
and  to  preach  them  far  and  near,  in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit, 
that  our  church,  in  the  great  and  expanding  future,  may  ably  fulfill 
her  part  for  our  nation,  and  the  world  at  large.  This  thought  brings 
up  the  reflection,  that  while  our  church,  in  the  trying  years  of  our 
country's  revolution,  and  the  early  conveyance  of  the  gospel  to  its 
smaller  and  straitened  settlements  in  the  woods  and  in  the  mountains, 
did  not  fall  behind  the  vocation  of  her  faith ;  her  printed  contri- 
butions to  the  treasures  of  scientific  theology  have  not  been  equal  to 
the  claims  of  the  Protestant  church.  Her  text  books  of  science  and 
divinity  are  still  drawn  from  over  the  water.  While  the  labors  of 
Stewart,  and  the  able  theological  lectures  of  the  late  Dr.  Woods,  of 
Andover  Seminary,  and,  I  may  add,  the  popular  systematic  discourses 
of  Dr.  Dwight,  of  Yale  College,  are  a  lasting  honor  to  these  institutions 
and  to  their  authors,  no  such  extended  productions  have  emanated  from 
our  large  denomination.  The  Finleys,  Smiths,  Woodhulls  and  Nes- 
bits,  who  were  the  early  preceptors  of  our  rising  ministry,  were  sound, 
able  and  influential  men,  but  published  little.  Baxter,  Richards, 
Mathews  and  Rice  were  gifted,  judicious  and  lovely  ministers ;  but, 
like  our  own  M'Millan,  they  began  oflicial  teaching  too  late  in  life  to 
mature  and  leave  much  behind  them.  Miller,  as  an  ecclesiastical 
historian,  and  Alexander,  as  a  theological  professor,  stood,  for  the  last 
half  century,  as  the  peerless  teachers  of  their  times,  fitted  to  be  an 
ornament  to  any  country  and  to  any  age ;  but  how  small  a  portion  of 
their  labors  are  to  go  down  to  form  the  science  of  coming  time.  Does 
not  the  church  hope  now,  since  she  has  founded  and  endowed  her 
seminaries,  and  is  collecting  in  them  her  facilities,  that  her  great  debt 
to  sacred  learning  will  begin  to  be  paid. 

But  while  our  church  thus  anticipates  from  her  theological  seminaries, 
thus  firmly  established  and  endowed,  the  able  and  rich  productions  of  high 
biblical,  and  historical,  and  theological  learning,  and  research,  and  spirit- 
ual excellence,  it  is  to  be  especially  remembered  that  our  future  minis- 
try are  here  to  be  trained  up  for  the  service  of  Christ,  and  that  in  this  land, 
and  in  these  stirring  times,  she  demands  rather  a  practical,  well  discip- 
lined and  devoted,  than  a  learned  ministry.  She  would,  indeed,  have 
good  and  thorough  scholars  in  all  the  branches  of  philosophy,  chemistry, 
geology,  mathematics,  and  natural  and  civil  history,  and  the  ancient  lan- 
guages, and  able  expositors  of  God's  Word,  and  men  mighty  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  but  above  this  she  wants  judicious,  prudent  and  faithful  pastors — 


14 

deeply  humble,  experimental  and  ardent  men,  whose  lips  have  been 
"  touched  with  a  live  coal  from  off  the  heavenly  altar,"  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  inward  struggles  and  searching  anxieties  of  a 
renewed  heart  and  a  holy  life,  and  embodying  the  gospel  and  its 
experience  in  their  own  personal  history,  turning  its  precepts  into 
moral  laws,  and  its  glorious  doctrines  into  living  principles  of  precious 
truth.  It  will  be  unnecessary  for  me  to  dwell  upon  those  important 
and,  perhaps,  sometimes  painful  duties  which  you  and  your  associates 
will  be  called  to  fulfill.  The  church  will  leave  it  for  you  conscientiously 
to  determine  whether  the  young  men,  who  from  time  to  time  come  to 
the  threshold  of  this  Seminary,  are  possessed  of  such  discretion,  and 
sound  judgment,  and  mental  qualifications  as  may  fit  them,  when  im- 
proved, to  be  respectable  and  useful  ministers  of  the  Word — and 
whether  the  soundness  of  their  religious  sentiments,  their  discreet  and 
exemplary  deportment,  and  their  habits  of  order  and  close  application 
are  such  as  shall  be  likely  to  throw  no  discredit  upon  the  church  and 
the  ministry.  Their  mental  discipline,  and  training  to  the  best  habits 
and  methods  for  the  acquisition  and  communication  of  knowledge — 
the  exercise  of  their  gifts  and  talents,  to  make  them  acceptable  and 
successful  preachers,  self-denied  and  judicious  pastors,  and  skilful 
defenders  of  the  faith — are  among  the  most  useful  ends  of  the  institu- 
tion to  them,  as  preparing  them  for  professional  improvement  and 
usefulness  in  after  life.  Their  time  here  will  be  precious  and  expensive. 
Let  them  have  your  ablest  facilities,  and  earnestly  enforce  the  most 
diligent  application. 

But  it  still  remains  for  me  to  refer  to  by  far  the  most  difficult  and 
solemn  part  of  the  trust  which  is  committed  to  your  hands  by  our  church, 
in  connexion  with  your  official  associates  :  I  refer  to  the  spiritual  qualifi- 
cations of  your  pupils  for  the  work  of  the  holy  ministry.  Often  as  you 
refer  to  the  plan  on  which  our  General  Assembly  began  the  policy  of 
her  theological  seminaries,  your  mind  will  be  struck  with  her  language  : 
"  Convinced  that  the  filling  of  the  Church  with  a  learned  and  able 
ministry  without  a  corresponding  portion  of  real  piety,  would  be  a 
curse  to  the  world  and  an  offence  to  God  and  his  people,  the  Assembly 
do  hereby  solemnly  pledge  themselves  to  the  churches  under  their 
care,  that  in  carrying  into  existence,  etc.,  it  shall  be  their  endeavor 
to  make  this  a  nursery  of  vital  piety,  as  well  as  of  sound  Theologi- 
cal learning ;  that  an  inward  sense  of  the  power  of  Godliness 
may  grow  continually  in  a  spirit  of  enlightened  devotion  and  fervent 
piety." 


15 

This  is  a  very  holy  covenant  between  the  Churches,  and  through 
the  Assembly,  with  her  official  teachers ;  and  when  we  consider  how 
liable  young  men,  as  well  as  others,  are  to  be  deceived,  and  how 
deceitful  the  human  heart  is,  we  may  well  tremble. 

The  secular  press,  in  speaking  of  the  recent  fall  of  a  highly  gifted 
and  distinguished  minister,  whose  character  had  stood  fair  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  observed  of  him,  that  his  love  of  miscellaneous 
reading,  his  fondness  for  objects  of  taste,  and  his  desire  to  display  his 
brilliant  powers  of  elocution,  had  probably  induced  him,  with  no  higher 
motive,  to  seek  the  ministerial  office.  Thus,  for  these  years,  he  was 
set  to  feed  the  flock  of  God,  to  lead  immortal  souls,  to  comfort 
mourning  saints,  to  direct  anxious  sinners,  and  watch  for  the  lambs  of 
Christ's  fold !  Great  God,  how  astonishing  thy  patience  to  guilty 
mortals !  0,  how  fearful  his  presumption !  and  yet  most  likely  he 
thought  himself  sincere.  Such  is  man,  if  left  to  himself.  But  what 
if  the  candidate,  virtuous,  prudent  and  diligent,  is  barely  sincere  and 
pious,  will  he  be  thus  qualified  to  go  forth  as  a  self-denied,  humble 
and  living  herald  of  the  cross,  willing  to  do  and  to  suffer  at  home  or 
abroad,  whatever  the  Master  may  require  ?  Brilliant  genius,  richly- 
stored  scholarship,  and  classic  eloquence,  may  win  the  popular  favor ; 
but,  my  brother,  you  know  how  little  these  can  do,  if  they  do  not,  as 
it  were,  intensify  the  humble  fervor  of  a  devoted  heart.  Even  habits 
of  unwearied  well-doing  and  moral  virtue  can  do  but  little  more,  if 
living  graces,  planted  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  heart,  and  nurtured 
by  watchfulness  and  prayer,  are  not  the  master-principles  of  the  soul. 
Perhaps  there  has  been  no  period  since  the  Reformation,  when  so 
many  causes  were  combined  to  bring  forward  into  the  pulpit  and  the 
literary  lecture  hall,  and  into  the  career  of  moral  and  semi-religious 
literature,  a  class  of  men  destitute  wholly  of  real  piety,  or  possessed 
of  very  slender  conceptions  of  the  power  of  Godliness.  At  the  same 
time,  never  did  the  ministerial  work  and  office  in  our  towns  and  cities, 
and  on  the  far  distant  widening  fields  of  the  great  Christian  harvest, 
in  these  wonderful  times  of  advancing  civilization,  opulence,  reading, 
and  luxury,  demand  on  all  sides  a  mightier  revival  of  Apostolic  holiness. 
Tne  world  stands  ready  to  be  taken  by  the  army  of  the  living  God ; 
and  by  one  effective  onset  of  the  sword  of  the  Lord  to  strike  its  colore 
and  run  up  the  banner  of  Jesus  Christ.  At  the  same  time,  how 
formidable,  insidious  and  skillful  is  the  spirit  of  formalism,  through  all  the 
masses  of  society !  To  say  nothing  of  the  unexplored  fields  of  Central 
Africa,  the  primeval  forests  and  hamlets  of  the  Andes  and  Rocky  Moun- 


16 

tains,  the  boundless  plains  and  prairies  of  the  Missouri,  Columbia, 
Colorado — China  and  India,  and  the  oceanic  isles  begin  to  lift  up  their 
voice  to  our  Church  and  country,  to  send  them  that  Gospel  which 
Christ  has  promised  them ;  and  for  the  gift  of  which  the  time-piece  of 
prophecy  seems  to  strike  the  hour.  And  then  the  sunny  plains  of 
Papal  nations,  once  trod  and  discipled  by  holy  martyrs,  seem  to  ask  for 
the  harbingers  of  the  morning :  and  demand  an  army  of  bold  and  faithful 
pioneers  of  redemption  to  bring  back  the  Royal  David  to  his  usurped 
metropolis.  And  amidst  all  this  deafening  importunity,  our  country 
and  our  churches  cry  to  you — send  us  ministers  of  a  holier  unction,  a 
keener  edge  of  zeal  and  fervor,  whose  faith  and  training  have  been 
cradled  amidst  mightier  searchings  and  communings  of  the  Holy  Spirit ! 
0,  my  brother,  my  brother,  who  but  God  can  sustain  your  troubled 
spirit  as  your  daily  thoughts  and  nightly  meditations  struggle  and 
groan  beneath  the  pressure  of  these  responsibilities  ?  Do  all  you  can ; 
watch  and  pray,  and  study,  and  leave  the  rest  to  Him. 

The  men  chosen  by  the  highest  judicatory  of  our  Church,  to  conduct 
the  professional,  educational  training  of  her  ministry  may  be  expected  to 
sustain  and  wield  a  superior  influence  in  all  her  courts  and  counsels ; 
and  their  opinions  to  be  sought  with  no  ordinary  interest;  and  the 
policy  of  the  Church  at  large,  and  the  usefulness  and  prosperity  of 
many  local  congregations  and  Pastors  will  often  much  depend  upon 
the  wisdom  of  their  co-operations.  The  Pastors  and  Churches  congre- 
gated around  this  theological  centre,  especially,  will  regard  you  with 
much  respect,  confidence,  and  affection;  and  we  trust,  that  by  the 
disinterested  wisdom  of  your  counsels,  the  excellence  of  your  influence, 
and  your  fraternal  spirit — yourself  unconnected  with  local  questions 
and  interests — you  will  "strengthen  the  hands  and  encourage  the 
hearts"  of  all;  being  to  each  and  to  all,  as  occasion  offers,  the  true 
friend,  the  wise  counsellor,  the  steady  helper,  and  the  skillful  peace- 
maker; ever  remembering  that  you  sustain  to  them  all  a  common 
relation ;  and  would  both  win  and  recompense  the  confidence  and  love 
which  all  these  ministers  and  churches  repose  in  you. 

And  now,  dear  sir,  with  the  Bible  and  the  Confession  of  Faith  in  your 
hand,  and  with  the  echo  from  the  throne, "  If  any  man  shall  take  away 
from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  (this  glorious  doctrine  of 
Christ  crucified,)  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life  and 
out  of  the  Holy  City,"  you  advance — a  spectacle  to  God,  to  angels  and  to 
men,  to  a  post  and  station  in  Zion,  rendered  awful  by  its  responsibili- 
ties, but  glorious  in  its  objects  and  results! 


17 

With  great  unanimity  and  cordiality  your  brethren  have  welcomed 
you  to  this  office,  and  have  implored  for  you  the  wisdom,  strength,  and 
holiness  which  it  will  demand ;  and  with  your  respected  associates, 
and  the  Institution  itself,  you  will  share  in  the  daily  supplications  of 
God's  people. 

If  you  have  not  lived  in  vain,  you  have  already  learned  that 
no  position  of  usefulness,  or  influence,  even  in  the  Church  of  God, 
and  no  measure  of  humble,  sincere  devotion  to  its  good,  can  shield 
you  from  difficulties,  disappointments  and  heavy  trials  of  your  faith 
and  patience ;  and  that  your  heart  must  often,  perhaps,  sigh  in  the 
consciousness  that  on  earth  you  may  find  no  proper  appreciation  of 
your  sacrifices  and  labors.  You  are  not  unmindful  of  those  anxieties 
and  sufferings,  as  well  as  severe  and  protracted  mental  labors,  which 
are  inseparable  from  this  high  station,  and  the  divine  discipline  which 
its  best  and  holiest  execution  will  in  a  sort  require.  Such  is  life,  as 
devoted  to  the  functions  of  the  holy  ministry.  "  You  ask  me,"  said 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  the  champion  of  the  Nicene  Creed,  "  how  I  am  ? 
I  am  very  ill ;  I  no  longer  have  Basil,  no  longer  Csesarius — the  one  my 
spiritual,  the  other  my  natural  brother.  My  body  is  sickly  ;  age  shows 
itself  upon  my  head ;  my  cares  grow  more  complicated ;  business  ac- 
cumulates upon  me ;  friends  prove  untrue ;  the  Church  is  without 
shepherds;  we  are  journeying  in  the  night;  Christ  sleepeth.  What 
then  is  to  be  done  ?  Alas !  there  is  only  one  escape  for  me  from 
these  evils,  and  that  is  death."  There  is  an  air  of  sadness  in  these 
words  of  that  truly  great,  and  learned,  and  eloquent  man,  derived, 
perhaps,  from  his  monastic  habits  and  severe  austerities ;  but  there  is 
in  them  much  of  sober  truth  and  devout  experience.  But  whatever 
ecclesiastical  solicitudes,  and  wasting  exertions,  and  painful  reverses 
there  may  be  in  the  futurities  of  yourself,  and  this  Institution,  put  on, 
my  brother,  the  holy  panoply,  and  go  forward  with  faith,  and  courage, 
and  cheerfulness.  Think  of  that  redeemed  Church,  so  dear  to  God, 
whose  consecrated  sons  you  would  train  up  for  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  Think  of  the  great  cloud  of  ministerial  witnesses  who,  as 
teachers  of  the  rising  ministry,  have  preceded  you ;  but,  above  all, 
think  of  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  and  aim  high — reach  forward, 
and  humbly,  and  nobly  wind  your  way  to  plant  the  doctrine  of  the 
cross  further  up  on  the  heights  of  Israel's  mountains  ;  and  then  at  its 
foot,  like  Moses,  lay  down  your  commission  and  receive  the  recompense 
of  sovereign  grace. 

2 


18 

The  occasion  makes  it  proper  that  I  should  say  a  word  to  the 
Board  of  Directors  : 

The  services  of  this  evening,  my  brethren,  call  npon  us  to  review 
with  gratitude  "all  the  way  in  which  the  Lord  hath  led  us,"  and  to 
renew  our  exertions  to  build  up  this  Institution.     Thirty  years  ago 
next  May,  the  speaker,  seeking,  as  we  stood  in  the  church  on  Washing- 
ton Square,  and  on  the  first  day  of  the  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly, 
the  co-operation  of  an  excellent  and  eminent  brother*  of  the  Synod 
of  Pittsburgh,  long  since  deceased,  we  successfully  applied  to  Doctors 
Green  and  Miller,  then  in  the  Assembly,  to  favor  the  establishment 
of  a  Western  Theological  Seminary.     On  their  recommendation,  a 
meeting  for  consultation  was  held  at  Dr.  Green's,  and  he  consented  to 
bring  forward  the  overture,  and  Dr.  Miller  to  support  it.     The  pro- 
posal was  adopted,  and  a  Board  was  chosen,  scattered  from  Alabama 
and  the  Mississippi  to  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  (Dr.  Campbell,  then 
of  Tennessee,  being  one).     Our  attendance  from  this  region  cost  us 
a  journey  of  three  weeks.     After  its  final  location  here,  a  Board  of 
Directors  was  chosen,  of  which  (consisting  of  twenty-one  Ministers  and 
nine  Ruling  Elders,)  four  ministers  and  one  Ruling  Elder  remain  in 
office ;  and  fifteen  Ministers  and  seven  Elders  have  gone  down  to  the 
grave.    Solemn  reminiscence  to  us  all !    In  these  thirty  years  we  have 
had  our  dark  and  perplexing  times,  and  great  pecuniary  and  other  em- 
barrassing difficulties.     One  of  our  Professors  died  on  his  way  to  this 
place,  and  five  at  different  times  have  left  us — all  good  and  estimable 
men.     It  is  noticeable  that  while  there  have  been  four  changes  in  each 
of  the  three  departments,  all,  with  this  single  exception,  are  still  living. 
In  the  progress  of  years  our  property  has  become  available — our 
endowments  are  far  advanced — our  Alumni  are  scattered  abroad,  and 
our  General  Assembly  has  finally  resolved  that  this  location  is  never 
to  be  disturbed.     All  that  remains  is  to  proceed  and  build  up  what 
the  Head  of  the  Church  has  thus  begun.     I  would  not  presume  to 
speak  for  my  elder  brethren,  all  of  whom,  and  especially  our  Patriar- 
chal President,  who  still  survives,  have  rendered  to  it  much  more  useful 
service  than  I  have  ever  done ;  but  for  myself  I  would  say,  that  in 
doing  this  with  new  Professors  and  new  arrangements,  younger  men 
and  new  and  fresher  Directors  should  be  called  in  to  take  our  place  in 
the  service  of  the  Board.     We  who  have  served  for  so  long  a  time 

*  Dr.  Obadiah  Jennings. 


19 

should  be  contented  with  our  past  honors,  and  may  well  claim  a  release, 
and  hand  over  our  sacred  trust  to  more  vigorous  hands. 

To  the  esteemed  Brethren  of  the  two  Synods  here  present,  all 
alike  supporters  of  this  Seminary,  may  I  be  allowed,  on  this,  doubtless, 
the  last  and  final  opportunity  I  shall  have  on  such  an  occasion,  with  the 
expression  of  fraternal  love,  to  say  a  word  commending  it  to  their 
fostering  care.  We  have  now,  brethren,  separate  Synodical  relations, 
and  shall  no  more  stand  side  by  side  in  these  annual  assemblings ;  but 
it  matters  little,  for  "the  time  is  short,"  and  soon  no  geographical 
lines,  we  trust,  will  ever  separate  U3  from  each  other.  In  respect  to 
this  and  the  other  Institutions,  common  to  us  all,  I  seem  to  hear  from 
behind  the  curtain  the  voices  of  our  still  much-loved  M'Millan,  Patter- 
son, M'Curdy,  Jennings  and  Brown  saying^  Onward  !  Brethren,  on- 
ward !  with  the  work  of  the  Lord  !  We  have  now  for  our  Seminary 
mainly  its  endowments,  and  its  chosen  Professors ;  but  what  shall 
become  of  its  usefulness  if  it  has  no  students,  and  they  are  not  to  be 
found  in  the  Church  ?  If  we  compare  the  present  with  earlier  periods, 
our  progress,  in  this  respect,  has  not  realized  our  hopes ;  and  in  the 
dearth  of  candidates  there  may  spring  up  a  hurtful  competition  in  our 
Theological  Seminaries.  Our  hope  must  be  in  the  Angel  of  the 
Covenant,  and  the  returning  power  of  his  Holy  Spirit  to  all  our 
churches.  Then  with  the  parents  will  come  the  sons,  and  with  the 
sisters  will  come  the  brothers,  and  the  God  of  our  Fathers  "  shall 
establish  the  work  of  our  hands  upon  us,"  and  raise  up  for  us  heralds 
to  preach  his  Gospel  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 


INAUGURAL    ADDRESS 


Venerable  Directors  and  Trustees  of  the  Western  Theological 
Seminary — Members  of  the  Synods  of  Pittsburgh,  Allegheny 
and  Wheeling,  and  other  respected  hearers: 

You  are  entitled  to  full  information  concerning  the 
doctrines  and  principles  of  those  charged  with  conducting  the  studies 
of  the  rising  ministry,  in  the  Seminary  established  among  you  by  our 
General  Assembly.  In  the  time  allotted  to  this  service,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  present  satisfactory  views  of  the  whole  field  of  theological 
inquiry.  It  would,  doubtless,  gratify  many,  if  such  a  topic  should  be 
discussed  as  would  indicate  the  general  course  of  instruction  pursued 
in  the  department  of  Didactic  Theology.  Such  a  theme  is  not  wanting. 
In  theology  are  many  truths,  the  clear  avowal  of  any  one  of  which 
commonly  indicates  one's  views  on  the  whole  circle  of  doctrinal  teaching. 
The  great  central  truth  of  the  religion  of  sinners  relates  to  the  person, 
character,  work,  sufferings  and  offices  of  Jesus  Christ.  As  a  man  is 
sound  or  corrupt  here,  so  is  he  elsewhere.  Both  now  and  in  the  last 
day,  the  great  question  in  determining  character  is  the  same — What 
think  ye  of  Christ  ?  On  this  subject  the  controversy  is  of  long  standing. 
It  goes  back  to  the  first  two  men  ever  born.  Cain  and  Abel  did  not 
agree  on  this  point.  There  the  strife  began,  and  it  has  never  ceased. 
The  reproach  of  Christ,  in  the  days  of  Moses,  was  the  hardest  thing 
to  be  borne  in  the  profession  of  the  true  religion. — Heb.  xi:  26. 
When  the  Messiah  was  born,  the  strife  was  resumed  with  more  warmth 
than  ever.  The  wise  men  brought  their  gifts  of  gold,  frankincense 
and  myrrh ;  but  when  Herod  heard  of  his  birth,  he  was  troubled,  and 
all  Jerusalem  with  him,  and  he  sought  the  young  child  to  destroy  him. 
And  when  Christ  first  became  a  public  teacher,  some  said,  He  is  a 
good  man;  others,  He  deceiveth  the  people.  One  party  worshipped 
him;  the  other  crucified  him.  And  when  he  was  on  the  cross  the 
spectators  were  divided  —  some  looking  on  with  unutterable  grief, 
others  wagging  their  heads  av.d  deriding  him.     Even  the  thieves,  who 


22 

were  crucified  with  him,  were  not  of  one  mind  ;  one  resisting  him,  the 
other  calling  him  Lord.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  controversy  was 
revived  with  great  vigor,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the  cause  of 
truth,  and  it  has  been  kept  up  ever  since.  All  the  friends  of  God 
have  been  on  one  side,  and  all  his  enemies  on  the  other — if  not  openly, 
yet  secretly ;  if  not  by  profession,  yet  in  practice.  For  eighteen 
hundred  years  a  large  portion  of  all  the  heresies  that  have  arisen  have 
related  to  the  person  or  work  of  Christ.  Infidelity  is  most  bitter 
against  Christ,  while  piety  feeds  upon  the  truth,  of  which  he  is  the 
sum.  Some  men  scoff,  others  admire  and  adore.  Some  obey,  others 
cry,  We  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us.  In  no  age  has 
wickedness  been  more  bold  than  in  the  present.  It  attacks  all  that  is 
precious  in  the  character  of  the  author  of  eternal  salvation.  In  these 
circumstances,  it  is  right  that  you  should  know  what  sentiments  are 
to  emanate  from  the  chair  of  Didactic  Theology.  To  do  full  justice 
to  such  a  subject  in  an  hour  will  not  be  expected,  but  enough  may  be 
said  to  remove  all  doubts  as  to  the  tenor  of  the  instruction  given. 

Jesus  Christ  is  a  wonderful,  a  glorious  person.  To  look  away  from 
self  and  man  to  Christ,  is  to  lay  hold  on  everlasting  life.  If  men 
would  be  safe,  let  them  flee  to  him.  When  he  is  in  the  ascendant, 
the  night  flies  away,  and  the  morning  comes — a  morning  without 
clouds.  His  names  and  titles  are  as  important  as  they  are  significant. 
Every  one  of  them  is  as  ointment  poured  forth.  His  lips  drop  as  the 
honey-comb — honey  and  milk  are  under  his  tongue,  and  the  smell  of 
his  garments  is  like  the  smell  of  Lebanon.  His  people  sit  under  his 
shadow  with  great  delight,  and  his  fruit  is  sweet  to  their  taste.  To 
them  he  is  altogether  lovely.  He  is  their  Advocate,  the  angel  of  the 
covenant,  the  author  and  finisher  of  faith.  He  is  as  the  apple-tree 
among  the  trees  of  the  wood,  the  alpha  and  the  omega,  the  Beloved, 
the  shepherd  and  bishop  of  souls,  the  bread  of  life,  the  bundle  of  myrrh, 
the  bridegroom,  the  bright  and  morning  star,  the  brightness  of  the 
Father's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person. 

He  is  their  Creator,  captain,  counsellor,  covenant,  corner-stone, 
covert  from  the  tempest,  a  cluster  of  camphor,  and  chiefest  among  ten 
thousand.  He  is  to  them  as  the  Dew,  the  door  into  the  fold,  a  diadem, 
a  daysman,  a  day-star,  a  deliverer,  and  the  desire  of  all  nations,  ranks 
and  generations  of  pious  men. 

In  their  eyes  he  is  the  Elect,  Emmanuel,  the  everlasting  Father,  and 
eternal  life.  He  is  a  Fountain  of  living  waters  to  thirsty  souls,  of  joy 
to  troubled  ones,  of  life  to  dying  ones.     He  is  the  foundation  on  which 


23 

his  people,  with  safety,  build  their  hopes  of  heaven.  He  is  the  father 
of  eternity,  the  fir-tree  under  whose  shadow  the  saints  rejoice,  the 
first  and  the  last,  the  first  fruits,  the  first-born  among  many  brethren, 
and  the  first  begotten  from  the  dead. 

To  his  chosen  he  is  as  the  most  fine  Gold,  a  guide,  a  governor,  a 
glorious  Lord  God,  the  true  God  over  all,  God  blessed  forever.  He 
is  Head  of  the  church,  the  help,  the  hope,  the  husband,  the  heritage, 
the  habitation  of  his  people.  He  is  the  horn  of  their  salvation.  He 
rides  upon  the  heavens  by  his  name,  J  AH.  He  is  the  Jehovah  of 
armies,  the  Inheritance,  Judge  and  King  of  his  people.  He  is  their 
Light,  their  life,  their  leader,  their  law-giver,  their  atoning  lamb,  the 
lily  of  the  valley,  the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah. 

He  is  the  Man  Christ  Jesus,  the  master,  the  mediator,  the  minister 
of  the  true  sanctuary  which  the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man.  He  is 
the  mighty  God  of  Isaiah,  the  morning-star  of  John,  the  Michael  of 
Daniel,  the  Melchisedek  of  David  and  Paul,  and  the  Messiah  of  all  the 
prophets.  He  is  the  Only-begotten  of  the  Father — full  of  grace  and 
truth.  He  is  both  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David.  He  is  the 
Peace,  the  prince,  the  priest,  the  prophet,  the  purifier,  the  potentate, 
the  propitiation,  the  physician,  the  plant  of  renown,  the  power  of  God, 
the  passover  of  all  saints.     He  is  a  polished  shaft  in  the  quiver  of  God. 

He  is  the  Rock,  the  refuge,  the  ruler,  the  ransom,  the  refiner,  the 
redeemer,  the  righteousness  and  the  resurrection  of  all  humble  souls. 
He  is  the  rose  of  Sharon.  He  is  the  Seed  of  the  woman,  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  the  seed  of  David,  the  Son  of  God,  the  son  of  man.  the 
strength,  the  shield,  the  surety,  the  shepherd,  the  shiloh,  the  sacrifice, 
the  sanctuary,  the  salvation,  the  sanctification,  and  the  sun  of 
righteousness  of  all  believers. 

He  is  that  holy  thing  that  was  born  of  Mary.  He  is  the  Truth,  the 
treasure,  the  teacher,  the  temple,  the  tree  of  life,  the  great  testator 
of  his  church.  He  is  the  Way,  the  well  of  salvation,  the  word  of  God, 
the  wisdom  of  God,  the  faithful  witness,  the  wonderful. 

His  person  is  one ;  but  his  natures  are  two.  He  is  both  human  and 
divine,  finite  and  infinite,  created  and  uncreated.  He  was  before 
Abraham,  though  not  born  till  for  ages  the  patriarch  had  slept  with 
his  fathers.  He  was  dead,  and  is  alive  forevermore.  On  earth  he 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head,  yet  he  disposes  of  all  diadems.  He 
has  the  arm  of  a  God,  and  the  heart  of  a  brother.  To  him  all 
tongues  shall  confess  and  all  knees  bow  ;  yet  learned  he  obedience  by 
the  things  which  he  suffered.     None  loves  like  him,  none  pities  like 


24 

him,  none  saves  like  him.  It  is  not  surprising  that  such  a  person 
lives  and  reigns  in  the  hearts  of  his  people.  No  marvel  that  the 
virgins  love  him,  and  the  saints  praise  him,  and  the  martyrs  die  for 
him,  and  the  sorrowing  long  for  him,  and  the  penitent  pour  out  their 
tears  before  him,  and  the  humble  trust  in  him,  and  the  believing  lay 
fast  hold  of  him.  His  frown  shakes  the  heavens,  his  smile  gives  life, 
his  presence  converts  dungeons  into  palaces,  his  blood  cleanses  from 
all  sin,  his  righteousness  is  the  white  robe  of  the  redeemed. 

If  men  would  be  safe,  or  wise,  or  holy,  or  happy,  or  useful,  or  vic- 
torious— let  them  look  to  Jesus,  let  them  look  to  none  else,  let  them 
walk  in  him,  abide  in  him,  glory  in  him,  and  count  as  loss  all  things 
beside.  You  may  look  at  the  law  till  the  spirit  of  bondage  over- 
whelms you  with  terrors  and  torments.  You  may  go  about  to  estab- 
lish your  own  righteousness  till  you  can  boast  and  perish  like  a 
Pharisee.  You  may  weep  till  the  fountain  of  your  tears  has  gone  dry, 
you  may  have  all  gifts,  understand  all  mysteries,  bestow  all  your  goods 
to  feed  the  poor,  yield  your  body  to  be  burned ;  but  all  these  things 
will  not  atone  for  sin,  will  do  nothing  towards  regaining  the  lost  favor 
of  God,  will  not  make  you  meet  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light.  None  but  Christ,  none  but  Christ,  none  but  Christ,  has  been 
the  cry  of  the  faithful  witnesses  of  all  ages,  when  truth  has  triumphed, 
when  oracles  were  struck  dumb,  when  sinners  were  converted,  when 
saints  rejoiced,  when  the  word  of  God  mightily  grew  and  prevailed. 

True  piety  begins,  continues  and  is  perfected  by  our  union  with 
Christ.  We  are  cleansed  through  his  blood,  we  are  clothed  in  his 
righteousness,  we  are  purified  by  his  Spirit — we  meet  the  demands  of 
the  law  of  this  day  of  grace,  when  we  walk  as  he  walked,  and  have 
the  same  mind  that  was  in  him. 

In  proportion  as  men  are  truly  pious,  they  make  him  the  foundation 
and  the  top-stone,  the  sum  and  substance  and  centre  of  all  their  hopes 
and  rejoicings.  He  is  believed  on  in  the  world,  not  merely  because 
there  is  no  other  way  of  salvation,  but  because  this  way  is  so  admira- 
bly adapted  to  all  the  necessities  of  sinners,  and  because  it  brings 
glory  to  God  in  the  highest.  The  true  believer  not  only  trusts  in 
Christ ;  he  glories  in  him.  He  not  only  makes  mention  of  him  ;  he 
admits  none  into  comparison  with  him.  To  all  the  ends,  parts  and 
purposes  of  salvation  Christ  stands  alone.  There  is  none  like  him. 
there  is  none  with  him,  there  is  none  before  him,  there  is  none  after  him 
there  is  none  beside  him.  If  God's  people  exalt  him  above  all  others, 
so  does  his  holy  and  eternal  Father.  If  they  crown  him  Lord  of  all,  God 


25 

also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name  that  is  above  every 
name.  If  they  surpassingly  admire  and  extol  him,  there  is  cause  for  this 
preference.  It  is  not  a  whim  that  has  seized  them.  It  is  a  holy, 
reasonable  thing  to  fall  before  him,  and  cry,  my  Lord  and  my  God. 
If  he  is  the  delights  of  the  sons  of  men,  he  is  also  the  delight  of  his 
Father.  Listen  to  the  voice  from  the  excellent  glory,  "  This  is  my 
beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased." 

We  sadly  err,  when  we  begin  in  the  spirit,  and  end  in  the  flesh ; 
when  we  regard  Christmas  the  author  but  not  as  the  finisher  of  faith. 
A  legal  spirit  is  the  bane  of  piety.  It  is  as  great  a  foe  to  comfort  as 
it  is  to  gospel  grace.  Through  the  law  believers  are  dead  to  the  law 
that  they  might  live  unto  God.  This  is  the  gospel  plan.  Here  is  the 
secret  of  growing  conformity  to  God.  Here  is  power,  here  is  wisdom, 
here  is  life.     We  are  complete  in  him. 

In  the  wars  of  opinion  the  greatest  contests  ever  known  have  been 
on  the  question,  whether  Christ  is  the  sole  and  sufficient  cause  of  sal- 
vation. Strange  that  any,  who  have  God's  word,  should  be  at  a  loss 
on  such  a  matter.  The  language  of  Scripture  is  clear,  "  Christ  is  the 
end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth."  This 
is  the  sum  of  inspired  teachings  on  the  subject.  This  doctrine  is  quite 
beyond  the  suggestion  of  reason.  The  gospel  is  not  the  progeny  of 
human  wisdom.  The  heart  of  man  is  strongly  wedded  to  a  plan  that 
will  not  abase  pride,  nor  destroy  boasting.  Although  in  regeneration 
this  folly  is  so  far  cured  that  the  soul  reclines  upon  Jesus,  yet  the 
converted  often  fall  into  sad  declensions,  and  lose  their  clear  and 
lively  apprehensions  of  the  one  way  of  salvation  provided  by  God. 
Then  follow  darkness,  dejection  and  strange  perplexities.  To  use  the 
strong  language  of  Paul,  they  are  bewitched  and  obey  not  the  truth. 
To  the  challenge,  where  is  the  blessedness  ye  spake  of?  they  can  but 
reply  in  sighs,  and  groans,  and  tears.  Christ  is  their  life  ;  severed 
from  him,  they  are  withered  branches.  It  is  only  when  Christ  is 
clearly  seen  and  embraced,  that  the  grace  of  the  soul  is  like  a  river, 
and  its  righteousness  like  the  waves  of  the  sea.  The  act  of  faith  in 
Christ  begins  spiritual  life,  and  the  work  of  faith  perpetuates  it.  The 
entire  race  of  the  Christian  is  run  by  pressing  towards  the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  our  high  calling  in  Christ  Jesus.  There  is  no  essential 
difference  between  the  first  and  subsequent  acts  of  faith  in  the  Re- 
deemer. They  are  all  the  fruit  of  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
the  object  of  all  of  them  is  the  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  the 
warrant  of  all  of  them  is  the  promise  cf  God,  the  offer  of  the  gospel; 


26 

and  they  are  all  accompanied  by  acts  of  complete  self-renunciation. 
They  all  bring  Christ  into  the  soul,  and  awaken  living  joys.  If  all 
believers  would  practice  constant  and  entire  simplicity  in  their  reliance 
on  Christ's  love  and  grace,  his  blood  and  righteousness,  they  would 
grow  exceedingly,  and  their  spirituality  would  greatly  abound.  No 
believer  ever  fed  too  much  on  the  bread  that  came  down  from  heaven, 
the  hidden  manna,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord. 

The  great  folly  of  even  good  men  is  that  too  often  they  forsake  the 
rock  of  their  salvation ;  they  rely  on  works,  so  that  the  law  with  its 
sharp,  flaming,  two-edged  sword  must  be  called  in  to  slay  legal  hopes 
as  often  as  they  revive.  Whenever  believers  go  to  Sinai  for  salvation, 
its  words  of  terror,  its  thunderings  and  lightnings  must  be  let  loose 
upon  them  ;  if  they  cannot  be  drawn  thence,  hope  will  die  within  them, 
and  terrors  will  consume  them.  Mount  Sinai  is  far  from  Jerusalem ; 
but  Mount  Calvary  is  hard  by  it.  Ministers  whose  preaching  discour- 
ages a  law-work  in  the  soul,  are  not  wise  ;  those,  who  have  been  the 
most  soundly  troubled  in  conscience,  commonly  cleave  most  closely  to 
the  gospel  method  of  mercy.  The  law  is  still  a  schoolmaster  to  bring 
men  to  Christ ;  the  nearer  we  are  to  the  law  as  a  covenant,  the  farther 
are  we  from  Christ,  from  deliverance. 

How  different  would  be  the  aspect  of  the  Church  of  God,  if  all  her 
members  had  clear  views  on  this  subject,  and  would  walk  in  Christ, 
who  is  the  light  of  life,  the  life  of  the  world.  The  hosts  of  saints,  who 
have  finished  their  course  and  gone  home  to  God,  all  found  in  them- 
selves sin,  guilt,  folly,  misery  and  helplessness;  while  in  him  were  hid 
all  the  treasures  of  wisdom,  grace,  salvation  and  glory.  When  Dr. 
Nevins  was  dying,  he  said,  "  I  recommend  Christ  to  you ;  I  have 
nothing  else  to  recommend."  Near  the  hour  of  his  departure,  John 
Brown,  of  Haddington,  said,  "  The  command  is,  *  Owe  no  man  any 
thing.'  What  a  mercy  that  there  is  no  such  precept  as  this — Owe 
a  Saviour  nothing ;  or  even  this — Study  to  owe  him  as  little  as  possible. 
0 !  what  a  mercy  that  my  admission  into  eternal  life  does  not  in  the 
least  depend  on  my  ability  for  anything ;  but,  as  a  poor  sinner,  will 
win  in  leaning  on  Christ  as  the  Lord  my  righteousness,  on  Christ 
8  made  of  God  unto  me  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption  ' 
I  have  nothing  to  sink  my  spirits  but  my  sins,  and  these  need  not 
sink  me  either,  since  the  great  God  is  my  Saviour."  M'Cheyne  said, 
il  Live  within  sight  of  Calvary,  and  you  will  live  in  sight  of  glory." 

These  views  coincide  with  the  clear  teachings  of  Scripture.  The 
testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy.     He  is  the  burden,  the 


27 

weighty  matter  of  all  the  old  seers.  To  him  gave  all  the  prophets 
witness.  In  him  patriarchs,  prophets,  psalmists,  evangelists,  apostles, 
martyrs  and  confessors  gloried.  He  is,  and  ever  has  been,  and  ever 
shall  be,  the  glory  of  the  Israel  of  God.  Well  was  it  said  of  old,  "  It 
is  better  to  die  with  Christ,  than  to  reign  with  Caesar."  Exquisite 
suffering  for  him  is  better  than  exquisite  enjoyment  with  the  world. 
It  is  better  to  be  a  prisoner  for  him  than  a  prince  without  him.  To 
die  in  Christ  is  to  fall  asleep  in  Jesus,  and  go  to  be  forever  with  the 
Lord. 

None  can  resist  his  power,  overreach  his  wisdom,  defeat  his  coun- 
sels, vanquish  his  hosts,  pluck  his  chosen  out  of  his  hand,  retard  his 
chariot  wheels,  or  subvert  his  kingdom.  It  is  easy  to  make  too  much 
of  men,  of  means,  of  instruments ;  but  no  man  ever  made  too  much  of 
Christ.  Implicit  faith  in  man  is  the  height  of  folly ;  in  Christ,  the 
height  of  wisdom.  He  is  the  ground  of  the  faith  and  hope  of  all  the 
saints.  Their  eyes  are  unto  him.  Their  desires  centre  in  him. 
Their  motives  to  holy  living  are  drawn  from  him.  Their  sorrows  are 
sanctified  by  him.  Their  joys  are  heightened,  chastened,  sweetened  by 
him.  In  our  love,  confidence  and  obedience,  he  will  admit  no  rivals. 
If  he  reigns  not  supreme,  he  is  to  us  of  none  effect.  One  is  our 
master,  even  Christ.  Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is 
laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ.  There  is  none  other  name  under  heaven 
given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved.  We  are  as  much 
bound  to  believe  that  there  is  but  one  Mediator,  as  that  there  is  but 
one  God.  ITim.  ii:  5.  In  office  he  has  neither  predecessor,  partner, 
nor  suocessor — having  none  over  him,  none  under  him,  none  equal  to 
him,  none  with  him,  none  beside  him.  His  grace  alone,  his  blood 
alone,  his  righteousness  alone,  his  intercession  alone  are  sufficient  for 
us.  We  need  no  other  Saviour.  None  else  can  do  us  any  good.  To 
seek  another  is  an  attempt  to  defraud  him  of  his  crown  and  glory. 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into 
the  sheepfold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and 
a  robber."  God  will  mercifully  forgive  all  sin,  whose  remission  is 
sought  through  atoning  blood  ;  but  he  will  pour  his  most  terrible  curses 
on  those,  who  attempt  to  supersede  his  Son  in  his  rights  as  the  Saviour 
of  the  world. 

Devotion  to  Christ  cannot  be  excessive.  Many  follow,  and  love, 
and  serve,  and  trust,  and  praise  him  too  little.  But  who  ever  praised, 
or  trusted,  or  served,  or  loved,  or  obeyed  him  excessively  ?  In  some 
things  it  is  easy  to  go  too  far ;  but  where  excellence  is  infinite,  the 
bounds  of  moderation  in  love  cannot  be  passed. 


28 

Scripture  and  genuine  Christian  experience  unite  in  teaching  that 
it  is  not  merely  Christ  incarnate,  or  Christ  teaching ;  but  also  Christ 
crucified,  that  is  the  joy  of  his  people.  Paul  expressed  the  natural  senti- 
ments of  living,  evangelical  piety,  when  he  said,  "  God  forbid  that  I 
should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  If  Christ  never 
humbled  himself,  he  has  never  been  exalted  ;  if  he  never  died,  he  never 
rose  from  the  dead  ;  if  he  never  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  they 
still  call  for  vengeance  ;  if  the  shepherd  has  never  been  smitten,  there 
are  no  sheep  to  bring  into  the  fold ;  if  Christ  did  not  bear  the  iniqui- 
ties of  us  all,  we  must  bear  them  ourselves ;  if  his  soul  was  not  made 
an  offering  for  sin,  our  souls  are  yet  in  the  thraldom  of  guilt  and  under 
wrath.  Of  all  the  miserable  drivelers  in  Theology,  none  are  more 
foolishly  employed  than  those  who  set  themselves  to  diminish  the 
greatness  of  the  work  and  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ — some  teaching 
that  his  obedience  was  due  for  himself;  some,  that  his  death  was  a 
mere  martyrdom  like  that  of  Stephen ;  some,  that  it  was  merely  an 
appropriate  manner  of  putting  the  seal  of  sancity  on  a  great  character ; 
some,  that  all  he  suffered  was  for  display  or  dramatic  effect ;  and  many, 
that  he  endured  no  penalty  of  the  law.  Such  men  can  never  give 
any  fair  or  sober  construction  to  such  passages  as  these  :  "  Christ  hath 
redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us." 
Gal.  iii:  13.  "  He  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin  ; 
that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him."  2  Cor.  v: 
21.     If  Christ  is  not  our  surety,  we  must  pay  our  own  debts. 

It  is  true  that  the  cross  of  Christ  was  designed  by  wicked  men  as 
the  seal  of  infamy,  the  badge  of  ignominy.  The  enemy  hoped  thereby 
to  prejudice  the  cause  of  truth  among  many  nations.  To  some  extent 
this  end  was  gained.  Christ  crucified  is  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling 
block,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.  In  many  eastern  nations  to 
this  day,  it  is  mentioned  as  a  reproach  to  Christianity  that  its  author 
was  hanged  upon  a  tree.  So  strong  was  prejudice  in  Japan  on  this 
score  that  it  is  said  some  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  in  that  kingdom 
denied  the  crucifixion  of  our  Lord.  But  wisdom  is  justified  of  her 
children.  None,  who  love  the  Lord,  are  offended  at  his  cross.  To 
them  it  is  for  a  perpetual  rejoicing  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  that 
his  precious  blood  was  shed,  that  he  offered  himself  without  spot  to 
God,  a  ransom  for  many:  a  sweet-smelling  savor  to  God.  Scorn  and 
malice,  stripes  and  prisons,  tortures  and  death,  have  not  been  able  to 
hinder  good  men  from  a  steadfast  profession  of  love  to  a  crucified 
Redeemer. 

The  Christ  who  reigns  and  intercedes  above,  is  the  same  Jesus 


29 

who  was  in  Pilate's  judgment  hall.  He  who  now  has  the  many 
crowns  on  his  head,  is  he  who  once  wore  the  crown  of  thorns.  The 
same  hand  into  which  a  reed  was  put  in  mockery  of  his  claims  to 
kingly  authority,  now  holds  the  sceptre  over  all  worlds,  all  dominions. 
His  state  is  altered,  but  his  person  and  character  are  unchangeable. 
One  powerful  motive  for  seeking  glory,  honor,  immortality  and  eternal 
life,  is  that  we  may  have  an  eternity  in  which  to  behold  the  Lamb  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne — to  admire  his  grace  and  his  person,  to  praise 
him  for  his  pity  to  the  perishing,  and  to  learn  the  height,  and  depth, 
and  length,  and  breadth  of  that  love,  which  passeth  knowledge.  The 
Saviour  himself  on  earth  offered  no  more  benevolent  prayer  than  this : 
"  Father,  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  with  me 
whore  I  am ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given 
me  :  for  thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the  world."  John  xvii: 
24.  Without  him  heaven  would  be  but  a  place  of  melancholy  exile 
from  earth.  Even  to  see  him  by  faith,  is  life  from  the  dead  to  sinners. 
But  to  see  him  as  he  is  in  heaven,  is  the  highest  enjoyment  of  which 
the  redeemed  are  capable.  Their  honor  shall  ever  consist  in  being 
like  him,  in  being  with  him,  and  in  the  beatific  vision  of  his  ineffable 
effulgence. 

So  that  to  the  being  of  a  Christian  much  more  is  required  than  a 
name,  a  profession,  or  a  persuasion  of  our  happy  state.  It  is  quite  as 
possible  to  pervert  the  present,  as  it  was  the  preceding  dispensation. 
One  may  be  called  a  Christian,  and  rest  in  the  gospel,  and  make  his 
boast  of  God,  and  know  his  will,  and  approve  the  things  that  are  more 
excellent,  and  be  confident  that  he  a  guide  of  the  blind,  a  light  of 
them  which  are  in  darkness,  an  instructor  of  the  foolish,  a  teacher  of 
babes,  and  have  the  form  of  knowledge,  and  of  the  truth  in  the  Gospel, 
and  yet  never  be  conformed  to  God,  never  be  a  real  Christian.  To 
love  Christ  in  the  creed  is  well.  To  leave  him  out  of  that,  is  to  drop  the 
sun  from  the  centre  of  the  system.  But  the  great  thing  is  to  have 
Christ  in  the  heart,  enthroned,  the  hope  of  glory,  setting  us  free  from 
the  bondage  of  corruption.  Do  we  rest  the  whole  weight  of  our  salva- 
tion on  the  finished  work  of  Jesus  Christ  ?  Is  his  death  our  life  ;  his 
shame,  our  glory  ;  his  honor,  our  aim  ;  his  throne,  our  heaven  ?  On 
many  questions  man  may  err,  and  go  safely  to  eternity.  But  immortal 
interests  are  bound  up  in  the  question  of  the  cross.  It  will  not  lose 
its  importance  while  eternity  endures.  Married  to  Christ,  we  shall 
be  presented  without  spot  to  God.  Having  fled  to  Christ,  the  avenger 
shall  not  slay  us.     Ingrafted  into  Christ,  we  shall  be  fruitful  branches. 


30 

Built  on  him,  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  us.  Coming 
to  him,  we  shall  not  be  cast  out.  Believing  on  him,  we  shall  have 
eternal  life.  Looking  to  him,  we  shall  be  saved.  But  out  of  Christ, 
we  must  perish.  God  counts  as  enemies  all  who  hate,  yea,  all  who 
slight  his  Son.  To  have  Christ's  blood  upon  the  conscience  will  give 
peace.  To  have  it  on  the  soles  of  our  feet  will  mark  us  for  destruc- 
tion. "  He  that  despised  Moses'  law,  died  without  mercy  under  two 
or  three  witnesses :  of  how  much  sorer  punishment  shall  he  be  thought 
worthy,  who  hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God ;  and  hath 
counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified,  an 
unholy  thing,  and  hath  done  despite  to  the  spirit  of  grace?"  Sorer 
punishment  than  dying  without  mercy !  The  wrath  of  the  Lamb  is 
dreadful  beyond  all  conception.  Let  us  all  labor  to  be  found  in  Christ, 
to  be  armed  with  his  mind,  and  to  glory  in  his  cross. 

Christ  crucified  is  also  the  great  theme  for  all  who  teach  theology, 
or  preach  the  gospel,  to  old  or  young,  to  savage,  barbarous,  or  civil- 
ized. Here  is  the  secret  of  all  genuine  success,  the  power  of  God, 
and  the  wisdom  of  God.  A  sight  of  his  wounds  will  cure  the  love  of 
sin.  So  the  apostles,  the  best  pastors,  evangelists  and  missionaries  of 
all  ages  testify.  Yschoop  said  of  red  men,  "  Brethren,  if  you  would 
have  your  words  gain  an  entrance  among  the  heathen,  preach  to  them 
Christ,  and  the  efficacy  of  his  sufferings  and  death"  Religious 
teachers  commit  a  capital  error  in  throwing  away  this  element  of 
power.  An  aged  person  once  said  to  his  pastor, "  I  have  had  to  inter- 
line your  sermon,  all  through  and  through,  with  the  name  of  Christ." 
M'Cheyne  said,  "  Some  speculate  on  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  but 
say  very  little  about  the  gospel  itself.  I  see  a  man  cannot  be  a 
minister  until  he  preaches  Christ  for  Christ's  sake."  Francke 
said,  "The  love  of  Christ  ought  to  be  much  more  insisted  on  by 
preachers  than  what  is  commonly  done;  because,  when  we  apply  to 
ourselves,  in  a  right  manner,  his  passion,  death,  and  atonement — his 
merits,  and  that  purchase  of  salvation  which  he  hath  made  for  us — the 
knowledge  of  his  love  to  us,  and  of  our  pardon  and  justification  through 
faith  in  his  blood,  is  the  truest  spring  and  most  powerful  attractive 
of  our  love  to  him."  Bishop  Wilson  says,  "  The  prominent  figure  in 
our  representations  of  Christianity  must  be  Christ  himself,  in  all  his 
attributes  and  grace.  A  revived  Christianity  is  a  revived  exhibition 
of  the  glorious  person  of  Christ."  Dore  says,  "  To  succeed  in  your 
attempt  to  penetrate  the  consciences  of  men  with  a  sense  of  the  spotless 
purity  of  the  divine  nature,  you  must  conduct  them  to  the  foot  of  the 


31 

cross,  and  show  them  the  Son  of  God,  in  the  day  of  his  distress, 
stretched  on  an  ignominious  tree,  transfixed  with  the  arrows  of  justice, 
and  exclaiming,  in  all  the  agonies  of  woe,  in  the  most  pathetic  accents. 
"My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  Pearsall  says, 
"  Is  there  not  the  highest  reason  to  preach  Christ  frequently  ?  Are 
you  speaking  to  dead  souls,  and  can  you  speak  of  one  so  proper  as  of 
him  who  is  life  ?  since  '  he  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life,  and  he  that  hath 
not  the  Son  of  God  hath  not  life !'  Of  whom  more  suitably  can  you 
speak,  than  of  so  able  and  wise  a  physician,  while  you  are  discoursing 
to  those  who  are  under  the  most  loathsome  and  dangerous  diseases! 
If  he  is  the  rock,  the  tried  stone,  the  chief  corner-stone,  laid  in  Zion, 
for  sinners  to  build  upon — since  he  is  the  only  surety  by  whom  their 
debts  can  be  paid,  the  only  city  of  refuge  where  they  can  be  safe,  the 
righteousness  whereby  they  are  to  be  justified,  the  fountain  where  they 
are  to  be  washed,  the  way  in  which  distant  souls  can  be  brought  to 
God  and  glory — there  is  the  highest  reason  why  we  should  dwell  much 
upon  Christ  in  our  preaching." 

John  Newton  says,  "  The  doctrine  of  the  cross  pours  a  light  upon 
every  subject  and  circumstance  in  which  we  are  engaged.  It  enlarges 
the  mind,  and  forms  the  judgment  and  taste  agreeably  to  the  standard 
of  truth  and  the  real  nature  of  things.  It  is  especially  the  fountain  of 
wisdom  to  sinners.  They  look  unto  him,  and  are  lightened.  The 
slight  and  partial  thoughts  they  once  entertained  of  the  great  God, 
the  mistaken  judgment  they  formed  of  themselves,  of  their  state  and 
their  conduct,  are  corrected  by  their  knowledge  of  the  cross — from 
whence  they  derive  a  solid  hope,  an  humble  spirit,  just  views  of  their 
duty  and  obligations,  and  motives  and  prospects  which  animate  them 
in  a  course  of  cheerful,  persevering  obedience  to  the  will  of  God." 
Circumstances  may  hinder  a  teacher  of  theology,  or  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  from  alluding,  for  months  together,  to  the  deluge,  or  the  over- 
throw of  the  cities  of  the  plain ;  but  how  can  a  religious  teacher  be 
innocent  when,  for  weeks  together,  he  does  not  distinctly  point  out  the 
way  of  salvation  by  atoning  blood ! 

And  now,  honored  fathers  and  brethren,  you  learn  for  yourselves 
what  is  to  be  the  polar  star,  pointed  out  to  the  young  men  of  your 
Seminary,  to  guide  them  in  their  quest  after  truth,  usefulness,  and  life 
everlasting.  Surely  no  apology  is  necessary  for  giving  such  promi- 
nence to  that  dear  One,  on  whom  all  good  hopes  depend.  To  question 
your  approval  of  exalting  Christ  to  the  highest  place,  would  doubtless 
be  doing  you  great  injustice.     While  some  put  their  schools  under  the 


32 

patronage  of  dead  men  or  dead  women,  your  Institution  is  dedicated 
to  Him  who  was  dead,  and  is  alive  forevermore,  and  hath  the  keys  of 
death  and  of  hell.  Pray  that  it  may  ever  remain  a  bulwark  of 
Apostolic,  Reformation  doctrine.  Pray  for  its  pupils,  who  are  so  soon 
to  fill  your  places.  Pray  for  its  professors,  who  must  so  soon  stand  at 
the  tribunal  of  God,  and  undergo  the  examination  of  omniscient 
purity  for  all  the  impressions  they  make  on  the  rising  ministry. 

In  the  series  of  events  which  have  resulted  in  the  solemn  services 
of  this  evening,  there  has  been  a  strange  union  of  mercy  from  the 
Lord,  and  of  kindness  from  his  people.  These  have  rendered  tolerable, 
trials  which  otherwise  would  have  been  insupportable.  They  have 
made  darkness  light,  and  rough  places  smooth.  They  have  taken 
away  stumbling-blocks,  and  held  out  most  pleasing  promises  of  useful- 
ness. They  have  driven  away  perplexity,  and  given  pledges  of  help 
from  above,  and  of  brotherly  encouragement  from  you  all.  I  came 
among  you  a  stranger,  and  was  received  as  an  old  friend.  In  these 
circumstances,  I  bow  the  knee  and  give  praise  to  the  Father  of  all 
mercies ;  and  I  beg  you  to  accept  assurances  of  heartfelt  thanks  for 
all  the  love  and  generosity  you  have  so  liberally  heaped  upon  me. 


